Against All Odds
by Miriflowers
Summary: AU. When Severus saves a girl from throwing herself off the Astronomy Tower, they form an unexpected friendship. When she falls in with his Death Eater friends, Dumbledore sees it as his chance to get a spy into Voldemort's ranks. Can she save Severus from a gruesome fate, or will she fall prey to Voldemort? Severus/OC.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The winter wind was in full force that night. As she took another bite of stale biscuit, Persephone leaned further over the railing, and thought about what she was about to do. There wasn't any going back now, she knew; the letter containing her suicide note had been sent off on one of the school's older, slower owls about an hour ago. He would be flying over Surrey about now, she suspected, unintentionally reminded of the summers she had spent at her friend's family home, full of simple yet precious memories. It gave her pause, if only for a moment.

She polished off the last of the biscuit and began to climb the railing clumsily. Resting a hand on the wall for balance, she stood tall and with clear eyes took in her last view of the grounds. Professor Kettleburn would be curled up with his nightly brandy in his cottage, most likely pouring over the book she'd got him for Christmas, Crup Breeding in the Middle Ages. She hoped he wouldn't take it too hard.

Then, she made the mistake of looking directly down. Vertigo washed over her, making her heart beat frantically as though it realized its time was short. A sharp gust of wind nearly made her lose her balance, and she clutched the wall, shutting her eyes until it died down. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was crying. It surprised her, and she wondered passively whether many people cried when they were about to off themselves. She supposed she would never know, now.

It was time. She said goodbye to no one in particular, then took the leap.

Severus Snape was walking back to the dungeons after a long stroll around the Black Lake when he heard the scream. Startled, he looked up and saw a figure plummeting from the Astronomy Tower and instantly drew his wand, casting a cushioning charm on the patch of grass she was heading for before breaking into a run. Drawing closer, he saw the figure hit the charm at an odd angle, bouncing off and hitting the nearby wall with a spine chilling crunch. He heard himself calling for help as he stumbled to the figure's side, rolling it over and gagging at the caustic scent of blood hanging in the air.

Her face was small and pale in the moonlight, hair matted and sticky. He checked her pulse before casting periculum to alert any professors that happened to be awake. She was alive, if only just. Not trusting himself to heal wounds this serious, he tried to staunch the flow of blood by pressing his cloak to the back of her head praying that help would arrive sooner rather than later.

Just his luck to end up killing someone while trying to save them, he thought as he pushed a dark lock of hair out of her eyes. The face was somewhat familiar. Though it was dark, he could make out the Slytherin crest on her robes. She was in his year...Nott? Selwyn?

"Mr. Snape, what is the meaning of thi- oh Merlin, is that Miss Ward?" came the panicked voice of Professor Slughorn.

That was the one. Ward. He recalled her having the sort of posh first name, but couldn't quite put his finger on that either.

"I'll go awaken Madame Pomfrey and the rest of the staff, you stay here boy," Slughorn said tersely as he scuttled back into the castle, robe fluttering in his wake.

Snape watched him go, brow furrowed, then turned to see Professor Kettleburn limping fast over the hill. He waved him over, taking care not to disturb Ward's head.

"I head screams, so I put on my leg and came as fast as I could," he called, approaching.

"She fell off the Astronomy Tower," Severus said, noting the sharp intake of breath when his old Care of Magical Creatures professor saw the small figure beside him.

Kettleburn fell to his knees, slowly taking Ward's limp hand. He was in shock.

"Miss Ward, can you hear me?" he asked. Ward's pale face remained still.

"I cast a cushioning charm, but I'm afraid I've done more harm than good," Severus said quietly, "I'm sorry, sir."

"No. No lad," Kettleburn said distractedly, patting him on the shoulder, "She's breathing. Poppy will have her right as rain in no time. You've done well. You've done very well."

A stretcher and the rest of the staff arrived in various states of haphazard dress arrived a minute later to escort her to the Hospital Wing. He watched as they carried her away, clutching his soiled cloak absentmindedly. Dumbledore surprised him when he spoke.

"You've done a good deed today, Severus Snape."

Severus looked at the headmaster, taken aback for a moment.

"It doesn't quite feel like it, sir," he admitted, made strangely uncomfortable by the old man's sharp, twinkling gaze, "I should have used a suspension charm or something of the sort. That impact could have killed her."

"And yet, she is still with us, and it seems as though you are the hero of the hour," Dumbledore said, still twinkling at him, "100 points to Slytherin for extraordinary bravery and presence of mind."

Stunned, Severus could only watch as the professor walked back inside. He realized he was still clutching at his bunched up cloak, and went inside to grab a new one before going to visit the Hospital Wing to check on the girl he had evidently saved.

It was only much later that he realized not one professor had mentioned his presence outside the common room after hours.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Persephone woke to a splitting headache and a dry mouth. Her eyes took a while to adjust to the light, and she slowly realized that she was still alive. Air rushed into her lungs and she sat up sharply, only to be sick into the basin beside her headboard. Someone held back her hair, and after she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand she looked to see a tired, sullen looking sort of boy sitting in the chair beside her bed.

"Er… hello there," he said, cautiously. He looked familiar.

She tried to ask him who he was, but she ended up croaking. He probably thought she was half frog. She looked around for water, and saw a pitcher and glass beside the basin she had just vomited into. She started to reach for it weakly, but he beat her to it.

"Let me," he commanded, taking the handle of the pitcher from her, "Pomfrey said you'd be queasy after all those potions she forced down last night. You need lots of liquid to get well again."

He held the glass out, and she took it without hesitation, gulping down as much as she could before she needed breath.

"How're you feeling?" he asked awkwardly as she downed the last of the water.

"Fine. Who are you?" she asked bluntly setting the glass to the side and pushing herself up further until she was in a comfortable sitting position.

"Severus Snape. I'm Slytherin, same year as you."

"Persephone Ward," she said, still very out of sorts, "Why are you here, er… Severus?"

"I saw you falling from the Astronomy Tower late last night and saved you," he explained quickly, noticing her furrowed brow and small frown, "Did someone push you off? We might be able to still catch who it is, it's very early still."

She snorted derisively, a cynical smile curling the corner of her lips upward.

"Thanks mate, but there's no need," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Unless you need to turn me into the proper authorities, that is."

"Oh," he said, simply. She snorted again, turning away and lying back against the headboard.

"I'll just go get Professor Dumbledore, then. He wanted to know when you woke up."

Persephone didn't turn around. When she heard the door shut, she tentatively slipped her feet out of bed and stood, leaning on the bed for support. Her legs seemed to be fine, sparing a slight twinge in her left ankle. She walked slowly over to the window and looked out at the grounds, letting her mind come to grips with the reality of her situation. She noted that it had snowed the night before, and everything looked pure and new. It made her feel a bit weird, and she couldn't quite make out what she thought about surviving her little stunt.

She supposed she was lucky that she hadn't gone back to St. Vincent's over the break, or she would have been shipped off to the mental ward again. Although the idea of facing Professor Kettleburn and Pandora filled her with dread, it could have been worse. The memories of the muggle medicine she had been forced to take still filled her with dread. Though it had given her respite for a time, she remembered the headaches and lack of appetite and overwhelming numbness more than she remembered being content with her life. Back then, the days had all run together like a sort of watercolor, hazy and light.

Her head turned as Dumbledore and Severus entered, and she hobbled back to her bed quickly.

"Ah, I see you're awake Miss Ward," the headmaster said cheerily as Severus hung behind him, trying to not make eye contact, "Don't let Poppy catch you out of bed. I've brought some lemon drops to help you through the rest of your sojourn here in the Hospital Wing."

"Thank you, sir," she said, smiling grimly as she accepted the small, bright package.

"Now," Dumbledore said, taking the seat Severus had previously occupied, leaving him looking even more out of place standing to his side, hands clasped behind his back, "It has come to my attention that you tried to take you own life last night."

Persephone swallowed, glancing to see Severus straighten up and inspect his boots very closely.

"Yes, sir."

"We may speak at greater length about that matter later" he said solemnly, "For now, I must ask if there is anyone you would like us to contact. Perhaps a certain Miss Thorpe?"

He didn't ask about parents, so he'd probably already checked. "She knows."

"I see. Is she aware that you still live? I believe she should be notified of the events of last night."

"If it suits you," Persephone said petulantly, then remembering that she ought to be more polite to the headmaster, amended, "Sir."

"Splendid, I'll have Minerva send an owl straight away," Dumbledore said, and though his tone was light, Persephone saw a hardness in his eyes that she didn't quite like, "Now, Professor Kettleburn has expressed a desire to speak with you, but I have urged him to give it a day or two. Is that amenable to you? I can summon him now if you so wish."

"No, that won't be necessary, sir." She didn't fancy having to explain to her favorite professor and makeshift mentor that it wasn't his fault that she had decided life was not her cup of tea.

"As you wish, Miss Ward," Dumbledore said, standing up, "I also feel it my duty to schedule weekly chats so that we might discuss what series of events has lead you to this course of action. I'm afraid I must insist. I will have the details delivered to you in good time. For now, I would try to get some rest."

With that, the old professor turned, tipped his head to Severus, and strode out of the Hospital Wing, leaving a very confused young woman in his wake. Severus remained, still inspecting his boots for a minute before looking like he made up his mind about something and taking a seat. Persephone regarded him coolly, unsure why he was still there.

"Look, I know it's none of my business, and you probably hate me at the moment, but if you'd like someone to talk to who isn't old enough to be your great-grandfather, I'm a good listener," he said slowly, as though the words were foreign to him. She suspected that he wasn't the social sort of person, and felt deeply ashamed of herself all of the sudden.

"You don't need to put yourself out for me," she said, eyes dropping to her hands as they lay folded on her covers, "I've caused you enough trouble already."

"Please," he scoffed, looking a bit less uncomfortable, "It's the least I can do. I feel a bit responsible for you now."

"I can look out for myself," she huffed, feathers ruffled. Seeing the deer in headlights look on his face, she added, "Thanks anyway, but you're probably busy enough without adding my mess of a life into the mix. I really do appreciate it, Severus."

"Suit yourself," he said, nodding to himself, "Is there anything you need from your rooms? Pomfrey's most likely to keep you in here long as she can keep you tied down."

"Er, isn't there a charm or something on the girl's dorms?" she asked bemusedly.

"Oh, right. Makes sense," he said, awkwardly.

"If it's not too much trouble, though, would you mind grabbing a few books from the library?" she asked, deciding that she might as well take advantage of his kindness while it was still offered.

"Yeah, which ones?" he agreed, seeming to be happy at the perspective of getting out of there.

"Anything on Crups, please. Preferably ones with pictures, but don't put yourself out for me."

She felt like a tit for asking.

"Right," he nodded, standing, "I'll see what I can dig up."

"Thanks, Severus," Persephone said. He nodded again, and left.

She got up again a minute later to look out the window. It had started to snow again. She spotted Severus striding across the grounds looking very determined, and she wondered what he could be up to. Some first years came out after that, and she spent a while watching them attempt to make a wizard out of snow before ending up in a snowball fight. Madame Pomfrey came in and fussed at her to get into bed before she could see who won, dosing her with a foul tasting potion that was supposed to help her sleep. She wondered if her accidental savior had ever made a snowman as she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two days later, Madame Pomfrey was finally convinced that she was well enough to be set free of the Hospital Wing. It was strange, walking the grounds as though she was living a borrowed life. Severus hadn't returned with those books, so she assumed he had just asked her in an attempt to escape. Dumbledore had, as promised, sent a scroll carried by some young spotty Hufflepuff. She was to report to his office that afternoon at precisely four thirty. The password was odd, and it had made her laugh.

She had decided to visit Kettleburn, since he had respected her wishes and left her well alone in the Hospital Wing. As she knocked on the door of his office, her mind wandered to the last time she had been here. It was to drop off his Christmas present. He'd been delighted, asking her in for some eggnog and excitedly telling her about his plans to get in a shipment of Bowtruckles for the coming semester. He'd asked her for her help, and she'd agreed, knowing that she didn't plan to make it that long.

The door opened, and she gave him a hesitant smile.

"Come in, my dear," he said, waving her through the door. The kettle began to whistle, and he waved his wand absently to quiet its strangled old cry. He ought to get a new one, but he'd told her it had been his wife's favorite before she died. She took her normal seat beside the fire, and watched him measure out tea leaves into his cup.

"Fancy a cuppa?" he inquired, brandishing a chipped blue teacup. She offered him another smile and nodded. He smiled and began measuring out some more tea leaves.

"When are the bowtruckles due in, professor?" she asked, accepting the teacup as he came to sit across from her.

"Well, now, when I ordered them, the lad said sometime late December, so we should be expecting them any day now," he said, settling into the old settee and taking a long drag from his cup, "My offer still stands for a helper. They can be rather tetchy when they set their minds to it, and I'd be glad of an extra set of hands what with this old stump of mine."

She snorted into her tea as he knocked his wooden limbs together, making an odd _klunk_. He chuckled, and they fell into a companionable silence. She'd almost finished her tea when she got up the courage to say what she had come to say.

"Professor, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry," she started, fiddling with the chip on the handle of her teacup, "It was a very selfish thing I tried to do, and I'm ashamed of myself. I've never been a very strong person, but I'm going to try harder. You've become the closest thing to a father I've ever had, and when I was sitting in the Hospital Wing I realized what an utter thickhead I've been. I'm sorry I told Dumbledore to keep you away, I just wanted a bit of time to get my head straight again. Please forgive me, I hate it when you're disappointed in me."

"Oh my child," he said, giving her a watery smile, "consider it forgotten. You have every right to a bit of privacy, I just hope you know how worried I've been. I'm not as young as I used to be, and you gave me quite a start. I don't know how I could muddle through all those blasted first years without you herding them for me."

Persephone laughed, remembering how chaotic Care of Magical Creatures had been her first year. The first year Slytherins and Gryffindors had been lumped together, and she remembered all the trouble that rascal Potter and his mates had stirred up, almost driving Kettleburn mad every class.

"Frankly, since the missus passed, I'd been considering going into retirement to look after my last arm until you came along. I should send that Slytherin lad a letter of thanks," he mused before hopping up to make more tea.

"I wouldn't bother him," Persephone said, watching Kettleburn set the water to boil again, "He seems confused as to why he got roped into all of this, so you'd be sparing him a fair bit of embarrassment."

"Hogwash," Kettleburn snorted, "I heard Dumbledore awarded Slytherin a hundred house points for that little stunt of his. He should be thanking you!"

Persephone giggled, sinking into her chair and thinking about the look of complete consternation on Severus' face during Dumbledore's visit to her bedside. He was an odd boy. She vaguely remembered seeing him around that redheaded Head Girl from Gryffindor for a few years. Girlfriend maybe?

Later, when she was getting ready to leave, Kettleburn had stopped her, a serious look on his face that was very out of place on the usually chipper old man.

"There is more to life than you've had a taste of so far, my dear. Our world was not always tormented by dark wizards, nor will it be in the future. You'll always have a place here, if you wish it. Now hurry along, Dumbledore is waiting."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The third floor was very quiet, what with everyone being gone for the holiday's. The soft squeaking of her trainers echoed strangely through the corridor until she drew to a halt in front of the gargoyle guarding the entryway to Dumbledore's office.

"Figgy pudding," she said softly, as though to not disturb the silence permeating the castle.

She found herself dwelling on Kettleburn's words as she climbed the staircase. She had been worried about what her life would be like after Hogwarts. She wouldn't go back to St. Vincent's, she knew, but could she really stay here? It seemed like a pipe dream. She was a very good student, but she wasn't _that_ good. Besides, professors were always hired after at least a few years out of school. Maybe Kettleburn would take her as an assistant?

She didn't realize she'd reached the top of the stairs until she came face to face with the door. She knocked twice, a bit taken aback when the door opened by itself. Nearly seven years she'd been practicing magic, and it still threw her for a loop when seemingly mundane magic happened when she wasn't expecting it.

"Ah, Miss Ward," Dumbledore called from his seat at his desk, kind eyes shining out from behind his half moon spectacles, "I appreciate the promptness. Please, take a seat."

She sat stiffly, waiting for the dressing down that was sure to come.

"I confess that I've been doing a bit of research on you, Miss Ward," he continued, steepling his fingers, "I'm afraid my curiosity go the better of me, and I apologize if it gives you discomfort."

He must have noticed her expression. She smiled tightly, trying to smooth the situation over, "Not to worry, sir. There's not much to know about me, so I expect you might have got a bit bored."

"On the contrary, I believe you sell yourself short," he said, and she felt as though behind those spectacles he was reading her like a book, "This humility is not uncommon in witches and wizards that come from circumstances such as yours, but I find that yours has grown unchecked."

Persephone didn't know what to say to that, so she kept silent.

"Do you know who your parents are?" Dumbledore said kindly, seeing Persephone draw into herself.

"No, sir," she said, "I always thought they'd died. They only left me a note at the orphanage."

"They are very much alive, last time I checked."

Persephone's head shot up.

"I can arrange for you to meet them, if you wish."

"Yes," she breathed automatically, "Yes, please. Who are they? Are they both magic?"

"I believe that it would be best if they were to tell you themselves," Dumbledore said gravely, "The matter of your birth is somewhat of a complicated matter, I'm afraid. In the meantime, I have another matter to discuss with you."

"What is it, sir?" she asked, mind still whirling from the revelation that she wasn't actually an orphan after all.

"Your friend, Miss Thorpe, wanted desperately to see you, but as travel too and from Hogwarts is tricky this time of year, I have put her off until now. I have arranged for her to floo into my office today. There simply was no talking her out of it, so I would suggest working it out between the two of you." He was twinkling again.

"What time will she be here, sir?" Persephone asked cautiously, knowing that she was in for a hell of a visit.

She got her answer when the fire behind Dumbledore's desk suddenly turned green and her best friend stepped out of it, brushing herself off primly.

"Ah, there she is," the old man said, standing to greet the young witch, "Miss Thorpe, I trust you won't be too harsh on you friend while I am gone."

"No, sir," Pandora said sweetly. Persephone spotted her fingers crossed behind her back and sent a frantic glance at Dumbledore's retreating figure.

"Don't set the place afire in my absence!" The door closed behind him, and the two girls turned to each other.

"Well, don't just stand there, I won't bite you," Pandora said, and they both closed the gap for a long hug.

"Missed you Dora," Persephone said into her friend's hair. She was about a hand's length taller.

"Persephone Ward, what the bloody hell were you thinking," Pandora grouched. It sounded like she was crying. Persephone shushed her, brushing a hand down her hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry."

Later, after Pandora had gone home, Persephone found herself humming as she trotted her way back to the dungeons. She'd taken it rather well, all things considered. No curses or hexes thrown, minimal crying. She giggled to herself, thinking about the way Pandora had described her cousin Arthur who'd come to stay with the family over break and his odd habits. Apparently, the man had terrible table manners – something Pandora hated, and one of the first things she'd taught Persephone after they became friends – and even worse hygiene. She swore up and down the only reason she knew he was related to her was the pale blond hair common to her family, but even then she had her suspicions. Apparently, his parents had been killed last year by a couple of dark wizards in Burma while they were on holiday, and Pandora's family were the closest relations he had. She'd gotten very grim when mentioning that, and Persephone suspected that the war was having a greater effect on her than she suspected.

Lost in thought, she turned the corner to run head first into someone, knocking her off her feet.

"Oof!"

"Watch where you're – oh, er, hello Persephone," Severus said, offering her a hand. She took it after a second, rubbing her side as she stood. That was definitely going to bruise.

"Hi, Severus," Persephone said, smiling a little, then noticing his friend, "Er, I'll just be on my way then. Happy holidays."

"Aren't you coming to dinner?" the other boy said, looking at her oddly. She blushed, realizing she must be making a first class tit of herself.

"Persephone, this is my friend Regulus," Severus stepped in, trying to fix the situation, "Regulus, Persephone."

"Hi."

"Nice to meet you."

"You must be hungry having to eat that mush Pomfrey always dishes out," Severus said, "Come to dinner."

"Alright, then," she said, knowing that she would regret it, but giving in anyway. She was starving, now that he mentioned it.

They began walking silently, Persephone sneaking sideways glances at them. Whatever conversation they'd been having before she (literally) ran into them had dried up, and it made her suspicious.

"Crazy how they still let Peeves run amok, if you ask me," Regulus said blandly as the poltergeist passed by them, cackling something about sweaty sneaky Slytherins and their mums, "I'd have kicked him out ages ago."

"He's the only one brave enough to go after that prat Potter, though," Persephone said, thinking of the time she'd seen him throw a stinkbomb at the Gryffindors' little gang, "I'd keep him around on virtue of that alone."

Regulus and Severus both laughed at that. No love lost between them, then?

The group fell back into silence as they entered the Great Hall. Assorted professors and students all sat around one table, since hardly anyone stayed for Christmas. It surprised Persephone that she hadn't noticed Severus around before. Maybe he always got food from the kitchens, or something? Her curiosity was killing her, but she didn't want to bother him. She knew she'd bothered him enough already, so she decided to keep her trap shut.

"So, what made you stay at Hogwarts over the break?" Regulus said conversationally as they all sat down to eat. Persephone didn't catch Severus' slight frown, piling potatoes onto her plate.

"I usually stay with Pandora – my friend – and her family, but they were having her cousin over already, and there's only one guest room. I didn't want to be a nuisance."

"Ah, I see," Regulus said between bites of stew, "No family then?"

"Er, not really," she admitted, reminded of Dumbledore's recent news.

"Leave her alone, Regulus," Severus scolded, "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's rude to talk during dinner."

Regulus rolled his eyes, making Persephone giggle a little. He did keep quiet after that, though.

As they entered the Slytherin common room later that night, Severus pulled her aside while Regulus went off to his dormitory.

"Sorry I never got around to bringing you those books you asked for," he said earnestly, "I had to go rescue Regulus from a dodgy situation, and by the time I'd got back, you were already out."

"It's fine, really," she said, surprised he'd remembered. That was probably why she hadn't noticed Regulus during the break, then.

"Well," Severus said, as though looking for some way to escape again.

"I'd better get to bed," she said, hoping that he wouldn't keep looking after her out of some bizarre obligation, "Night, Severus."

"Right," he said stiffly, "goodnight."

She was asleep when her head hit the pillow.

 **A/N: I'm not trying to be cliche by naming Persephone's best friend after another woman from Greek Mythology, she's Luna's mom. Xenophilius will be making an appearance later on. :) Also, a reviewer (shoutout to Radio Free Death) asked why Persephone owled her suicide note. The letter had some pretty private things in it, and she didn't want anyone else reading it. Some of it will be addressed later. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"That's all of them," Persephone called back to Professor Kettleburn. He nodded, carrying his crate over to the Wiggentree. She followed, a bit more slowly. Her mentor may only have one and a half limbs, but he was still more fit than she was at less than a third of his age. It was demeaning, but she was glad he was in good health if nothing else.

"Right, time to unload," he said, eagerly taking out his wand, "I'd advise you to stand back, Ward. They can be testy after so long away from their tree."

Without a question, she took a few long paces back and took out her own wand. She'd never seen a bowtruckle before, but from the descriptions she'd got from her textbooks and Kettleburn himself, they were a nasty bunch, and she wasn't about to be sent back to the Hospital Wing this month.

A muttered charm from Kettleburn, and they were loose. She couldn't help but laugh at herself as they scurried out of their boxes, making squeaky little noises of irritation. To think she had been so afraid of such puny little things!

"Awww, they're almost cute," she said, looking at one bowtruckle help another out by climbing on him, "You made them sound like little murder sticks."

"Don't be taken in," Kettleburn warned, though he was laughing too, "if they catch you near their tree, there'll be hell to pay, mark my works."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," Persephone observed dryly, "Did one of them catch you in a dark alley somewhere? I wonder how your ego survived taking a beating from a creature only tall enough to gnaw at your ankles."

Kettleburn didn't rise to the bait, grunting. He caught a bowtruckle trying to make a run for it a moment later, and sent a stunning spell at him to stop him from absconding.

"Pick on someone your own size!" Persephone giggled, earning herself a stern glare that only made her giggle harder.

By the time Kettleburn was sure the bowtruckles had grown accustomed to their new tree, it was getting dark, so they made their way in to have dinner. Persephone hadn't let his vendetta against the small creatures lie, and she kept needling him about it. He took it in stride, joking that one had sat in his tea for a hot bath and he'd never seen them the same way since.

When they entered the Great Hall, he excused himself to go sit by Minerva, and she sat down by herself at the students' end of the table, a small smile still on her face. Severus entered a few minutes later, and catching her eye, he came to sit next to her. _Rats_. She supposed she should just tell him that she didn't need a nurse, but she didn't want to be rude.

"Good evening, Severus," she said politely.

"Good evening," he said, looking a bit out of breath, "How was your day?"

"Good," she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, "I've been helping Professor Kettleburn with a new shipment of bowtruckles."

"Oh?" he said absently, looking very preoccupied. He couldn't be that concerned with the choice between mutton and roast pheasant. Persephone decided that he was just the sort of boy who was always mysterious, and let it lie.

"Compared to the creatures I usually help him with, they're almost cute," Persephone chattered on, trying to fill the silence, "I think they get a bad rap."

Severus snorted, finally deciding on the mutton, "Just don't try taking one as a pet. Aren't they the ones that can't bear to be away from trees?"

"Well they're not all like that. I heard the man who wrote our old textbook, I forget his name, kept one for himself as a pet," Persephone said sagely, "Although I doubt I'd want to keep one around."

"Oh," Severus said again.

"I'm holding out until I graduate, and then I've decided I'm getting a crup, one of the young ones, before they cut off the forked tail," Persephone chattered aimlessly, beginning to think that she might be able to scare him away if she kept at it.

"Is that why you wanted those books?" Severus asked, giving her a strange look.

"Clever of you. Yes," she said, pleasantly surprised he remembered, "Kettleburn showed me a picture of one he and his wife owned. His name was Spot. Never had a knack for naming things, that one. I'm sure if he'd ever had a kid, he'd have named him something horrible."

"Like Severus," Severus offered with a wry smile. Persephone couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not that bad," she grinned, "Could have been much worse. If you were a girl you could have got stuck with Persephone. Eugh."

Severus chuckled into his mutton.

"It's no wonder I've only got one friend, really," she mused to herself more than him, "If Dora hadn't thought up a nickname, she'd be stuck saying four syllables every time she wanted my attention. Utterly barbaric."

"What does she call you?" Severus asked conversationally.

"Effie," she said, smiling wistfully, "Everyone else just sticks to Persephone, though."

"One of my...friends used to call me Sev. Same situation."

Persephone wondered if this was an invitation, but decided not to ask. Regulus joined them a minute later. The conversation was easy, and she almost began to doubt her assumption that Severus was hanging around out of pity. Lucky she knew better, or she'd be in for a rough time of it when he would ask her to please stop following him around.

Later that night, as she got ready for bed, she decided to write to Pandora about the strange developments. It had only been a few days since they'd seen each other, but she knew Pandora was probably dying of boredom with cousin Arthur. She sat down at her desk and began scribbling away, pushing her wet hair out of the way to not soil the parchment.

She decided to risk running through the corridor to the owlry since she still had a few minutes until curfew, and threw on her robe in a hurry. She arrived just as Regulus was leaving, nearly running into each other.

"Hello there," he greeted amiably, "I see I'm not the only one who got the idea to send off a late letter."

"My friend, Dora," Persephone said, waving the letter as explanation and trying to catch her breath.

"I'll let you get on with it then," he said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she nodded, edging past him.

Odd that he'd actually stopped to talk to her, she thought as she coaxed one of the younger owls from its roost. The notion that they might have the makings to become friends seemed strange and disjointed to her, as though she was looking at her life through water. She decided not to count her basilisks before they hatched, and went to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

It turned out that Persephone had been right to not trust her new friends, since the moment Christmas holidays were over and classes began she hadn't heard from them. Dora said they were probably with the other little Death Eaters, but Persephone had a hard time believing that either Severus or Regulus were that sort of people. She supposed it didn't matter.

It had been about a month since Dumbledore had called her in for a meeting, so it came as a surprise when she was summoned after classes one day in early February. She hadn't reached the top of the stairs before the door opened, hastening her in.

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?" she asked quizzically, noting the middle aged witch and wizard beside the fireplace and deciding to keep her mouth shut.

"Ms. Ward," Dumbledore said, twinkling again, "I have two people here who very much would like to meet you."

She knew where this was going. Her blood turned to ice in her veins, her face stony as she turned to look at the witch and wizard beside the fireplace again. They looked back, for a moment just observing each other. The woman was very short and slight with black eyes and hair teased back into a low bun. The man towered over her by at least a foot, long platinum-blond hair reminding her of the elves she used to read about when she was a kid in the orphanage.

"I suppose you're my parents, then," she said, voice cracking to spite herself. The woman rushed forward to draw her into her arms. She was a little taller. After a moment, she buried her head into her mother's neck and hugged her with all the strength she could muster.

"How are you? I've been so worried since your Headmaster wrote to say you'd been ill, my darling," the woman fussed, drawing back to dab at her eyes.

"I'm well," Persephone said, finding it hard to speak with the frog in her throat. She'd imagined this day since she could remember and was probably in shock. Luckily her father knew how to snap her out of it.

"I had hoped you would take after my side of the family, I must admit," he said, a bland look of curiosity on his face. Persephone flushed, clenching her robes in her fists.

"Oh leave her alone, Abraxas, you've only just met her! Really, you can be intolerable sometimes," her mother chided. On hearing the name, the hair on the nape of her neck stood straight up.

"You're Abraxas Malfoy," she said rather than asked, eyes wide, flicking between the two. If this was true, that probably meant-

"The one and only," he said grimly.

"And you-"

"Druella Black," the woman said, still looking a bit teary, "I know you have every right to hate us, my dear, but please just take a seat and listen to what we have to tell you."

She sat, mind racing a mile a minute. She felt like she was hearing her mother through water, her words distorted and muffled. Her father noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention from a throw rug.

"I wish things had been different," he said softly, "but I'm afraid this revelation will hold no comfort. There is little your mother and I can do for you. Duty binds us to our own families."

Persephone was mute, staring at him without seeing.

"I'm sorry."

They left an hour later with a teary hug and a grim farewell. Persephone watched the green flames and resisted the urge to run after them, begging and wailing like a child.

"Will I ever see them again?" she asked, voice trembling.

"I wouldn't rule it out," Dumbledore answered, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I find things have a way of working out in the ways we least expect."

"I don't want to sound ungrateful, but that felt hollow," Persephone admitted, "I've only just met them, and they stay for an hour? Why even bother?"

"At their age, regrets seem more important than at seventeen," Dumbledore said wisely, "Perhaps you will understand their motives with time."

"Well, at any rate, I've got work to finish," she said, shouldering her bag, "Thank you for this."

"My door is always open to you, Ms. Ward," Dumbledore nodded, opening the door with a gesture, "I urge you to make use of it."

She has halfway to the common room when she ran into Dora and Severus in the corridor, talking in hushed whispers. Dora had that look she got when she was irritated but didn't want anyone to know. They quieted when she approached, piquing her interest.

"There you are," Severus said, looking nervous, "How'd your meeting go?"

"Splendid," Persephone said blandly, "What were you two talking about?"

Dora pursed her lips.

"I was just looking for you," he said dismissively, "Fancy a walk?"

"Sure," she said, eyeing Dora like a bomb about to go off, "I'll see you in the common room later, Dora."

She nodded and hurried back down the corridor, leaving Severus and Persephone alone. They wordlessly began to make their way to the grounds. It was nearing curfew, but that didn't seem to bother Severus. The moon was nearly full, bathing the castle in a strange, unearthly light.

"How have you been?" Severus asked, breaking the silence, "I haven't seen you around since term started."

She bit back a snarky laugh. They had loads of classes together, but he hadn't even looked her way.

"Oh, you know how it is. NEWTs and whatnot," she said casually, "You?"

"The same," he said, his hair hiding his eyes from her gaze, "I…"

He trailed off, deep in thought, and she decided not to prod him. She was surprised he had sought her out. After all, he already had his own friends and didn't need a suicidal weirdo added to the mix.

"Why did you try to kill yourself?" he asked suddenly, "You don't have to tell me. I know it's none of my business."

Ah, morbid curiosity. That explained it.

"The usual," she said, keeping her tone light, "I've got no past, no future, and a friend who's probably better off without me. She'd be dripping with friends if it weren't for my hanging around like her personal raincloud."

"I...doubt she'd agree," Severus said tentatively, "She was about to rip my head off in that corridor before you happened along. Thanks for that."

Persephone laughed, thinking about her dainty friend ripping anyone's head off. They walked in silence for a while longer, but it was less tense.

"It was probably the isolation," she said quietly, her eyes lowered, "This place is downright depressing during the holidays."

"What, you don't like the decorations?" Snape asked, making her laugh again.

They turned and started walking back to the castle.

"I met my parents for the first time today," Persephone said, wondering why she was telling him even as the words tumbled out, "It was the weirdest thing, having to hug strangers and pretend I didn't mind that they abandoned me. I still can't quite wrap my head around it."

"They probably have their reasons," Snape said, looking down at her strangely, "Who do you take after?"

"My mum," Persephone said, smiling a little as she remembered the short, wiry woman, "It was like looking in a mirror."

Silence.

"Well, I suppose I look a bit younger."

They both grinned at each other.

"Do you want to be friends, Severus?" Persephone asked, feeling a bit silly asking like that. He was just easy to talk to. She felt like if given a little more time, he'd have got her deepest darkest secrets out without even asking.

"Don't sound so pitiful," Severus chastised her lightly, "Of course."

For a while after that night, Persephone felt the weight lift off her shoulders, putting a spring in her step she'd never had before. Severus would occasionally smile at her when they passed each other in hallways, and Dora seemed to get used to him stealing her away to walk some evenings. Things were better.

 **A/N: Turns out, taking 15 hours my last semester of college wasn't a good idea lol. I'll try to update more often. Thanks for the support.**


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